Taiwanese government urges fishermen to be careful fishing near Indonesian islands

Four Taiwanese vessels have been detained by the Indonesian government recently

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- On Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned fishermen working close to the Indonesian islands to be careful and stay alert as Indonesia's has enacted strict new policies to cut down on illegal drug shipments.

According to the statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, four Taiwanese fishing boats have recently been detained by the Indonesian authorities citing irregularities.

"It is our understanding that the Indonesian government recently uncovered several foreign fishing vessels carrying large quantities of illegal drugs, prompting it to set up crackdown efforts," read the statement by the ministry.

the ministry also mentioned it had to instruct staff at the Taiwan representative office in Indonesia to visit one of the detained vessels on Feb. 23 to inquire about the cause of detention, following which the vessel with the entire crew were safely released, as was reported by the Central News Agency.

The ministry has requested the Indonesian law enforcement agencies be more informed and refrain from detaining Taiwanese vessels without first confirming relevant information, reports the Liberty Times.